Scott Wykoff's Blog

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

The Stump

I saw a new game being played by young tailgaters in Lot B at M&T Bank Stadium during the NCAA Lacrosse Championships.

They call it Stump.

And from as much as I can figure out, all you need is a tree stump, a hammer, nails and some willing tailgating participants.

While Corn Hole (bean bag toss) Ladder Golf (tossing golf balls attached by a nylon rope), KanJam (trash can Frisbee) and even old favorites like Bocce Ball are still staples at tailgates and cookouts around here, Stump is slowly but surely finding its way to tailgates in the lots surrounding the home of the Ravens.

Some research reveals that Stump evolved from a German game called Hammerschalgen.

The "friendly competition" goes like this. Players surround the stump. Each person takes their turn flipping the hammer in the air, often under a leg or behind their back. Then you catch the hammer. With what's supposed to be a continuous motion, the person then tries to pound nails into the tree stump.

You get points for hammering your opponents nails into the stump.

Fun stuff! The "lax bros" love it!

After extensive interviews with Stump players in Lot B during the NCAA Lacrosse Championships at M&T Bank Stadium, I have come to the conclusion that Stump is most popular on college campuses and in parking lots at college football games. The same venues where tailgating favorites like bean bag tossing and trash can Frisbee took off.

Who knows, maybe Stump will someday be a tailgating must for Ravens fans outside of M&T Bank Stadium.